Fire-escape



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. FIRE ESCAPE. No. 281,661. Patented July 24, 1883. Y

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v UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

ORIN R. Bowm, on PORTLAND, ASSIGNOB on ONE-HALF TO nLins HERSEY, onDEERING,AND WILLIAM K. RHODES, on. PORTLAND, MAINE.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,661, dated July 24,1883.

Application filed February 10, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ORIN R. 'Bowln, of Portland, in the county ofCumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

Figure 1 is a view of the front of abuilding with my improvementattached thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. 1 Fig. 3 isa view of the hook used to grasp the rod or bar a. A Fig. 4 is anenlarged detail in part section of the reservoir and the wall of abuilding and the devices in and connected with said reservoir. Fig. 5 isa View of abracket to support the rod or bar a on a building. Fig. 6 isa view of the weight attached to the weighted cord and also of theringsthereon. Fig. 7 is a view of the bracket, the rod or bar a, and the hookwhich works on the same. Fig. 8 is a view of the car.

Same letters show like parts.

My invention relates to fireescapes.

A shows the wall of a building. B are the eaves coving or coping at thetop thereof.

a shows a rod run horizontally along the edges of the eaves coping, &c.,projecting slightly beyond them, so as to allow of the free passage of ahook or similar device along the said rod. This rod can be fastened tothe top of the building in any well-known wayas, for instance, byprojecting brackets or holders 1). These rods are to be arranged andfastened on the building wherever it may be deemed desirable above thewindows, doors, and such openings of the building. It is to be placed,however, at the top, so that a line depending from it will be attachedat a point higher than any of said windows or doors.

c is a box or reservoir placed at the top of a coving, projectingslightly over it and over and above the rod or bar a. It is held inposition in any proper manner and by any convenient supports. It has abottom, (1, hinged so as to open by dropping downwardly or slidinghorizontally. This bottom is held in place when closed by any spring orcatch, as 6; but not so but that it can be easily opened and by slightforce. Within the box or reservoir cis apulley-block or pivot, f.- Overthis runs a cord, This cord has the weight h and aknot or stop, 2'. Thisweighted cord is kept coiled up in the box or reservoir 0 until wantedfor use. It lies on the bottom piece, at. It is intended to drop,running over the pulley f, if necessary, to the ground. A stop or knot,i, will prevent the other part of the cord from running through thepulley or pivot when the weighted end has reached the ground or so as tobe within reach from the ground. The bottom d is hinged, as shown, tothe lower part of the box or reservoir 0. 'It is opened by a line, cord,wire, or chain, j, which is connected with a handle or rod, is, whichcan be worked by a person from the ground. WVhen this rod is pulled, thebottom is dropped or moved away, and the weighted cord drops to theground down by the wall of the building. As many of these boxes 0 asdesired can be put on the top of a building.

To the weight h on the cord 9 is attached an eye or ring, Z. Then theweight has been released-and has dropped as set forth, a hook, m, isentered into said eye; the weight is then drawn up by the end 9 of thecord 5 until the hook passes over and hooks onto the horizontal rod orbar a. The weighted cord 9 is so. suspended from the pulley, &c., f, asto touch the rod a on the outside as it moves up or down. Thus the hookm, when raised by the side of the horizontal rod or bar, will easilyslip over it, and thus become connected thereto. To this hook m can beattached or connected fixed and movable blocks and pulleys. To suchblocks can be connected a car or platform, which can be raised or drawnup to windows, doors, or other apertures of the buildingwall, and usedas a means of taking inmates from the upper stories and lowering them tothe ground.

In Fig. 8 is seen a view of the car or platform for receiving personsfrom windows and doors of a burning building. Further, it will beperceived that the hook in can, by a sidewise motion of the rope orropes attached to it, be slipped or slid along the horizontal rod or bara. Thus the car or platform or rope attached to said hook can be broughtinto a position in front of a window, &c. and then operated as hereinset forth. The hooks m can have simply ropes connected with them, ifdesired, reaching to the ground. These might serve for men. In case ofrescuing women and children from aburning building, a car or someequivalent device would be necessary. Of course any number of hooks mcan be provided, as well as rods or bars a, to suit the circumstances ofa building.

The box or reservoir 0 is at all times in readiness to be worked withits weighted coil within it. The handle by which it is opened near theground can be covered with a box, if desired, like or similar to afire-alarm. The reservoirs or boxes 0 are placed at such points alongthe building, cornice, &c., as may be deemed necessary. After once beingused the fireman or some other person is to again coil up the weightedrope and close the bottom of the box or reservoir. My systemcontemplates that the firemen work the device and come to a fire readyfurnished with the hooks, ropes, pulleys, cars, &c., or the proprietorof the building have them. Thus it will be seen that persons confined ina burning building and cut off from escape therefrom by fire in storiesof the building lower than those in which they are can be taken outthrough windows, &c.

The ropes, cords, &c., can of course be made of materials not easily orat all destructible by fire.

One or more prongs can be made on the hook or grapple m.

The rear of thereservoir c is provided with a door, which is opened whenthe weighted cord is to be coiled up and the movable bottom closed inorder to be ready for use.

The eye on the lower end of the weight h can be changed into or providedwith a hook to clasp the rung of a ladder to draw the same up against abuilding.

The movable pulleys and blocks may also be furnished and used in thesame way.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, 1s-

1. The combination of the box or reservoir 0, placed as described, withits bottom cl operating as set forth, with the block or pulley in saidbox, and theweighted cord or chain g, and a hook, m, with its cord, thewhole for the purpose of attaching said hook to the horizontal rod orbar a, as herein described.

2. In combination with said weighted cord 9 g, the eye or ring I, ahook, m, with its cord, and the horizontal rod or bar a, placed on thecornice, &c., of a building, as described, all as herein specified.

3. In combination with the weighted cord g and its eye or ring I, ahook, on, and the blocks and pulleys set forth, and a car or platform,to be operated as herein described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

ORIN It. BOVVIE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM HENRY CLIFFORD, 'WILLIAM K. RHODES.

